North Aceh police silent over blast in their office

North Aceh police silent over blast in their office

JAKARTA (JP): North Aceh Police remained tight-lipped on
Thursday about the bomb explosion on Wednesday at a police
station which injured three officers.

Local police chief Lt. Col. Iskandar Hasan has refused to
answer questions about the explosion.

"I have no idea why he doesn't want to speak to the press
about the incident," a friend of Iskandar told The Jakarta Post
by phone last night.

"He's still chairing a meeting (on the incident) right now,"
the friend said.

The authorities refusal to comment on the blast has left local
reporters nonplused.

"As of now, there has been no official statement from security
authorities, as if they really want to keep a tight lid on this
case," the chairman of a local journalists organization, Zainal
Bakri, was quoted by Antara as saying in the North Aceh capital
of Lhokseumawe.

According to reports, the small homemade bomb was recently
found by police in the Matangkuli administration office. Police
removed the bomb to the station, where it exploded in the office
of the head of the operational unit at 11:40 a.m. on Wednesday.

The three injured officers were identified as second Lt.
Bambang, Sgt. Maj. Dwi Haryono and first class Sgt. Amri Mursan.
The three are currently receiving medical treatment.

The cause of the explosion and details of the officers' wounds
are still unknown.

According to reports, the bomb was planted by an unidentified
party at the Matangkuli administration office, where it was
discovered by North Aceh Police detectives along with a can of
gasoline, matches and a mosquito coil.

"I believe the homemade bomb and the other materials were
going to be used to blow up the Matangkuli administration
office," a senior police officer who requested anonymity said.

According to reports, several rooms in the administration
office already had been doused with fuel before police arrived.

The bomb was said to have been first spotted by a member of
the office's cleaning crew, who had noticed that two typewriters
and a radio communications set were missing from the office.

The bomb was removed by police, who took it to the station in
Lhokseumawe, where it exploded minutes after it was placed on a
table in the detective's office.

In a separate incident, residents of three North Aceh villages
fled their homes on Thursday, bringing to some 1,200 the number
of villagers from the area who have taken refuge in a mosque
following the disappearance of a military intelligence officer
some five days ago.

"The villagers don't know who kidnapped the man, but they are
afraid of military questioning. They are all so traumatized by
security forces in general that they have left home," a resident
was quoted by AFP as saying.

Daarul Istiqomah Mosque in Tipin Raya subdistrict has opened a
kitchen to feed the refugees from the villages of Cot Baruh, Cot
Tunang and Krueng Njong.

"The late comers are sleeping on the terraces and outside the
mosque," the resident said.

Lhokseumawe has been the scene of mounting public protest
against the authorities and demands for a referendum on self-
determination in Aceh.

Earlier this month, soldiers shot into a crowd of protesters
in Krueng Geukueh, killing 41.

In Jakarta on Thursday, Student Solidarity for Aceh and the
Commission for Missing Persons and Victims of Violence began
raising money for the Krueng Geukeuh victims. (bsr/01)